Faded from Memory
Prologue: Life from Death
Dear Diary,
This is my first entry into this diary, and so to anyone who might read this, my name is Sora Strife. Today, I met the man named Cloud Strife. My mother told me to get adopted by this man as his son. …That's funny… I don't remember anything at all about her. My memories of her are like a void. I can't remember anything about her!
Wait, it's coming back to me. Of course she's dead, she could have taken care of me if she were still alive. I remember her voice. It's like it can call a heavenly host to do her bidding. Not a lot of people have that kind of voice, now, do they? I can't remember anything else. Nothing. It's also odd that I just popped up near the Seventh Heaven. The door opened and then a guy with blonde, spiky hair approached me. I would later know him as Cloud. Just one look into my eyes and then he lets me in.
I'm at the Seventh Heaven in Edge right now. He lives here, along with some other people from the former group AVALANCHE. Uncle Barret "lives" here, but he's barely here, he can hardly take care of his own daughter, because he's working in an oil field. His daughter's name is Marlene, and she's around nine years older than me. For some reason, she kinda reminds me of Mom. Denzel is around the same age as her, and the two of them like to be together sometimes. Vincent is this guy that sleeps in the basement and he's really creepy. His roommate is Shelke, a girl a lot older than me, but there's something wrong with her body. She looks like she's nine, she needs a daily dose of mako to sustain herself, and she's really, really, really nice to me. Denzel and Marlene share their room with me. Of course, aside from the people I just mentioned, there's Tifa, owner of the Seventh Heaven. She's the bartender, sorta a mother to us all, and practically takes care of everybody. Then there's Cloud. He seems to know me, and somehow, I know him. There! Now I know why Mom made me get adopted by this man. I know for one thing that she loves him, even from beyond the grave. I just sense her love for this guy, and I don't know how, I don't know why, but I sense it there. I just know it. The guy who handled our legal papers for my adoption is Reeve. He visited and explained the entire process, and then poof! I'm Cloud's legal son right there.
Dear Diary,
Today there was an alert that Edge was going to be attacked by a lot of strong monsters, so everyone at Seventh Heaven got ready to fight them. Only I wasn't allowed to go, because I was too young. So I snuck out anyway. They were having a bit of trouble, but in any case I went out there and totally showed them what I was gonna do. I think I must have killed three of them, which is great considering I was using a stick for a weapon, and until one of those Behemoths was going to swallow me up, I was doing just fine. Not a scratch on me. Then Riku, but I didn't know his name at the time shows up with a real sword and takes it down. That was incidentally the last one, and he just saved my life. We became best friends after that. But then a Tonberry shows up out of nowhere and impales me with that knife. I felt like I was dying, but suddenly it started to drizzle, and for some reason I was fully healed again. Riku had a wound, but he cast some magic on himself and then it went away. I never knew that you could use magic like that. Anyway, I'm writing this as a way of passing time while being grounded. No video games, no TV, no cellphone, just a lot of books that Dad said I might want to read. Alright, I'll read them now.
My Mom… This is her life as Dad knew her, compiled into a book in his own handwriting… How is that possible? I…
Dear Diary,
I turned thirteen today. We went to a lot of places, like the Gold Saucer, and other places like that. We went to Mom's grave, and then to her church, all the while travelling on the recently deceased Cid's airship, the Shera. His son Cid II piloted it, and I had the time of my life, especially as I met her. Kairi. She word really weird armor on her: I mean, who wears full-body plate armor these days? It's clanky, and not a very good defense from a gun. She came out of the pool in Mother's church, and she held this rapier to Riku's throat when he approached. She was cautious of anyone who approached. Then she asked for Dad, and then they had a private talk which I couldn't hear anything of. Then Dad emerged with a smile on his face and Kairi unconscious on a bed. I can't sleep, that's why I'm writing this. Well, I'm tired now. Good night.
By the way, my swordsmanship classes with Dad have been improving, but for some reason I can't cast a single spell yet.
Dear Diary,
Kairi awoke today, but that's not as important as what I'm going to say. I don't believe it! Mom… is back? She just popped into the Seventh Heaven with Dad in tow and then greeted me like nothing happened. They say that they're going to get married next month. Isn't Mom supposed to be DEAD? I can't figure it out, and Mom and Dad won't tell me anything. At least I have Riku and Kairi with me, every step of the way. The three of us can't ever be separated.
Dear Diary,
Today Mom and Dad got married. It's a very happy day for all of us.